Opinion: The Curious Case of Danny Garcia

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Remember the time Danny Garcia looked like he would be boxing’s Next Big Thing? Come on, you remember. It was Sept. 14, 2013 when Garcia proved the haters wrong and defeated Argentinean slugger Lucas Matthysse on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s then record-breaking showdown with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Many thought Garcia was a lamb being led to the slaughter, but the Puerto Rican proved them wrong, as he stayed in the pocket and took the fight to Matthysse.

With Garcia’s hand raised in victory, it appeared his stock was on the rise and a legitimate star was born. He had a style that provided excitement in the ring and a father whose mouth delivered entertainment by the pound outside of it. Garcia also possesses a marketable look, and his Puerto Rican heritage could help build his brand.

Two and a half years later, we’re still wondering when Garcia is going to break through, because it hasn’t happened yet.

Since his big victory over Matthysse, Garcia’s path to greatness has been riddled with potholes and diversions. He followed the win with a showdown against Mauricio Herrera in Puerto Rico. Beforehand, Garcia was reluctant to say he wanted to fight Mayweather, and that seemed odd. Just about every boxer wanted a piece of “Money,” if not for the opportunity to dethrone boxing’s best, then for the massive payday that comes along with it.

Nevertheless, Garcia proceeded to face Herrera and looked sluggish, as “El Maestro” consistently prodded him with the jab and seemingly outworked him throughout the 12-round affair. However, the judges somehow gave it to Garcia. If that didn’t hinder his climb, the next fight would.

In what would end up giving Garcia the unflattering nickname of “Cherry Picker,” he faced the unknown Rod Salka in a mismatch of gargantuan proportions. Garcia flattened Salka in two rounds but did little to enhance his profile. That performance was followed by a bout with Lamont Peterson; and it was yet another situation in which Garcia was exposed by a boxer with movement and a deft jab, as Peterson frustrated his opponent with his strategy. Maybe because Peterson stepped on the accelerator too late, Garcia would squeak out yet another narrow victory. For his next outing, Garcia faced former champion Paulie Malignaggi -- certainly no longer the boxing magician he once was -- in his welterweight debut. Garcia’s first fight as a 147-pounder was long overdue and heavily criticized, considering that the Philly fighter was fighting catchweight bouts in his previous two appearances. Deemed a mismatch again by observers, Garcia managed to score a ninth-round TKO.

To say Garcia has been trending downward would be an understatement. Ever since he seemed to be on top of the mountain, he has watched his career tumble. Still undefeated but appearing to be heavily protected by his manager Al Haymon, Garcia has yet to prove he’s the man; and now, he will face Robert Guerrero in Premier Boxing Champions debut on Fox this Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

No, this is not the Guerrero that entered his fight against Mayweather sporting a record of 31-1-1. This version of Guerrero has gone 2-2 in his last four bouts, with his last fight against unheralded Aron Martinez finding the little-known boxer putting Guerrero down and nearly out in the fourth round. It came as a surprise by most to see Guerrero end up with his hand raised. With that said, it put him back into the win column and into a fight with Garcia.

Similar to Malignaggi, Guerrero comes into this fight with the perception that his best years are behind him and that he might be damaged goods for Garcia to vulture meat off of his carcass. As fair or unfair as that assessment may be, it has become a disturbing pattern for the fighter known as “Swift.”

Garcia has been put in fights he is expected to win, only to narrowly escape with a victory or win in a bout that was an awful mismatch from the start. For a fighter still trying to prove his worth, the lack of true challenges -- especially in a division as crowded as welterweight -- does nothing to enhance his profile. It protects his goose egg in the loss column, but even fight fans are having a hard time getting behind Garcia.

Something has to give. Garcia needs to begin rolling over everyone and demand a fight against the likes of Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook, Errol Spence or Sadam Ali. A fight with Amir Khan, who Garcia knocked out in 2012, would even make sense. For a fighter with all that potential, he’s doing himself no favors by continuing to allow himself to be protected.

In order to be the best, you have to demand the best. All Garcia has done is play it cool and opt not to demand much of anything. No more babysitting for Garcia. His fans deserve more than what he has given them.

Andreas Hale is a content producer for Jay Z’s LifeandTimes.com and editor-in-chief of PremierWuzHere.com, as well as a frequent Sherdog.com columnist. Check out his archive here.